Sampling-mill



(no Model.) "4 Sheets- Shem 1,.

J. H. STRATTON.

SAMPLING MILL.

No. 599,649. Patented Feb. 22, 1898.

,Jni/enior (No Model.) 4 SheetsSheet 2.

'J.-H.STRAT TON. SAMPLING MILL.

No. 599,649. Patented Feb. 22,1898.

"m: nun-ms PETERS co. PHOYO-LITHO. wqsnmufm; u. c.

4 Shets-Sheet 4.

(N0 Mode l.) '7 J. H'. STRATTON.

SAMPLING MILL. No. 599,649. Patented Feb. 22, 1898.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH H. STRATT ON, OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH.

SAM PLlNG-MILL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 599,649, dated February 22, 1898.

Application filed May 5, 1897. serial No. 635,277. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH H. STRATTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Salt Lake City, in the county of Salt Lake, State of Utah, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sampling-Millspf which the followingis a description, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

' My invention relates to that class of apparatuses which are used to remove a certain portion of ore from a mass to serve as a sample thereof.

The objects of the invention are to provide an ore-sampler which shall be automatic in its action and by which ore may be conveyed from one car to the crusher, a correct sample taken out, and the bulk of ore delivered to another car; also, to provide an improved sampling device inthe form of a wheel hav-' ing an annular concentric series of equidistantly spaced buckets, so that the open mouth or top of the buckets will bear the same proportion to the open or vacant spaces between them as the amount of ore to be taken out as a sample bears to the entire mass of ore, the ore falling between the buckets being carried into another car; also, to improve the construction of the main 'conveyer; also, to combine the crushing-rolls and carriers operating the connection therewith in such manner that the ore will always be in full view to permit of inspection from a distance, and

thereby prevent tampering with or salting the sample; also, to provide means for jarring the buckets of the sampling-wheel when they arrive at their uppermost positions and are inverted; also, to improve the construction of apparatuses of this class as a whole.

The invention will first be described, and then specifically pointed out in the claims.

Referring now to the drawings forming part hereof, Figure 1 is a plan of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is an end elevation looking from the right in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section of the apparatus at the first pair of crushing-rolls G and second sampling-wheel E. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the apparatus with the sampling-wheels removed. Fig. 5 is an elevation of one of the sampling-wheels and parts with which it immediately coacts. Fig. 6 is a central vertical section through Fig. 5. Figs. 7 and 8 show in plan and side elevation one of the supply or main elevators.

My improved apparatus is preferably inclosed in a suitably-constructed building A, situated between parallel car-tracks, so that the cars A A may be run up to either side thereof with the ore to be sampled and other cars A A also placed on the track at either side to receive the ore from which a sample has been removed.

Within the building or compartment A, at,

each pair of rolls G G G is mounted one of n my improved sampling-wheels E, E, E and E respectively. These wheels are all arranged vertically with their aXes parallel and at right angles to the axes of the rolls G. These sampling-wheels are constructed as follows: E is the shaft, having a drive-pulley E driven from any suitable source of power, and E is-a disk secured to the inner end of the shaft and forming the wheel proper. To the inner face of this disk E is secured at the periphery thereof a series of radial brackets g with their open sides toward the axis of the wheel, and pivotally hung within these brackets g are the ore-receiving buckets h, which normally hang with their open tops uppermost as the wheel rotates.

Within the circle described by the buckets h at the lower edge of wheel E is a supplyhopper f, into which is dischargeda continu ous stream of ore from the crusher D by means of theendless carrier e, which extends from beneath the outlet-spout cl of the crusher tothe saidhopper f. It will be seen, therefore, that as the wheel E revolves every one of its buckets will receive in succession a portion of the ore from the crusher D and that the balance of the ore will fall through the spaces between the buckets.

F-is an endless offtake-conveyer extending under the sampling-wheels E E E to receive the ore which falls between the buckets and through hoppers k k k beneath said wheels and carry it to an ofEtake-conveyer F, which is inclined upwardly and delivers the ore to a transverse offtake-conveyer F which may be run in either direction, to discharge the ore from which the sample has been removed into chutes f f at either side of the building. The ore falling between the buckets of the last wheel E passes through hopper k upon the eonveyer F and thence to conveyer F These chutes f f overhang the cartracks at the outer sides of the building, so as to discharge into a car A A on either track. Any well-known mechanism may be employed for driving these three oi'ftake-conveyers F F F in the mannerdeseribed. The ore is delivered to crusher D from a car A at one side of the building by means of a supply-conveyer B or from a car A at the opposite side of the building by means of a similar conveyer B, which in turn delivers the ore to a second intermediate conveyer B The inner ends of the conveyers B B extend over the mouth of the crusher D and discharge the ore upon a grate or grizzly C, which carries the large lumps or pieces into the crusher, but permits the smaller pieces to fall through into a chute O, which communicates with the outlet (1 of the crusher, which outlet (Z is directly over the endless carrier 6, before described. As this carrier 6 delivers a constant stream of ore into the hopper f, it will be seen that by the spacing and the size of the buckets h any desired size of sample may be taken outsuch as one-half, onethird, one-fourth, one-fifth, one-tenth, &c.

lVhen the loaded buckets h of the wheel E are brought into their uppermost positions, they will be overturned or dumped by means of an upwardly-projecting spring arm or trip '1 secured to an outlet-hopper 7', arranged within the circle described bybuckets 71., but above the axis of the wheel. The buckets h are successively brought into contactwith the upper end of arm or trip i, which engages the near edge of a bucket and swings the bucket bottom upward, so as to discharge its contents into hopper j. At this instant the cross-bar of bracket y will have engaged, retracted, and released a spring-hammer 10, which will strike the bottom of the bucket and jar it, so as to loosen any fine or damp ore that may adhere thereto. The further movement of the wheel will cause the release of the trip-arm '2', which will assume its normal position, and the bucket will swing by gravity into its normal position.

In further explanation of the action of arm or trip L. I would state that it extends over the mouth of hopperj in the path of the buckets, (see Figs. 5 and 6,) and its free end is curved upwardly, so that as the buckets successively reach the arm i their bottoms will ride up the arm and be partially tilted thereby, so that the free end of the arm will snap over and engage the near edge of the bucket and thereby cause it to assume the position shown in Figs. 5 and 6. Moreover, the hammer 10 projects into the path of the cross-pieces of brackets g, so that as the brackets pass under the hammer they will raise or retract it and in their further movement will of course release it, whereupon the hammer will spring down and strike the bottom of the upturned bucket. In Fig. 5 the bucket hasjust passed from under and been struck by the hammer and is about to be released from trip-arm i.

The hopper j inclines inwardly beyond the wheel E and discharges the contents of the buckets h upon an endless carrier Z, which extends toward the first pair of crushing-rolls G and discharges the ore upon a transverse upper endless carrier m, which in turn discharges the ore between said first pair of rolls G. Beneath these rolls G is an open-ended bottomless hopper 0, under which is an endless carrier )1, traveling toward the samplingwheel E and delivering its contents to a hopperf, just like carrier edelivers to hopperf, and this hopper f delivers to the buckets h of wheel E in the same way that hopper f delivers to the buckets of the wheel E, so that the buckets h of wheel E will remove successively certain portions of the stream of ore delivered by belt n from the first pair of crushing-rolls G, just as the first wheel E, operated in connection with the stream of ore from the crusher D and its offtake-carrier c. This hopper 0 simply comprises two inclined plates, so that it is bottomless and openended, which permits the ore falling on carrier n to be seen from a distance by those interested, and this open construction also facilitates cleaning and repair.

The buckets of the second wheel E deliver their contents into an upper hopperj and are operated thereat in like manner to the buckets of wheel E at the hopper Endless carriers 6 7'11. carry the ore from the wheel E to the second set of rolls G, and the endless carrier 11 carries the ore from rolls G to the third sampling-wheel E and this wheel E in like manner delivers its ore to the third set of crushing-rolls G by means of the carriers Z m while the ore from the rolls G is delivered to the fourth sampling-wheel E by a lower carrier M The buckets of this last wheel E deliver into a hopper f, discharging upon the endless carrier 1", which in turn discharges the final and correct sample into a receptacle '2'. A ear-load of ore may thus be treated, sampled, and delivered into another car A or A without any manual labor except the shoveling of the ore from the supply-car A or A into the hopper a. of the main or supply conveyers B B. The entire operation may be viewed from a distance, so that there can be no opportunity for tampering with or salting the ore. Should the ore in the car be arranged in any particular manner with the idea of causing a sample to be taken from its richest portion, this will obviously be prevented by the arrangement of the sampling-wheels, which so subdivide and resubdivide the first sample taken as to render such action impossible. The

process of subdivision may be increased or decreased by increasing or lessening the number of sample-wheels and crushing-rolls and follows:

B B are the side bars, which are provided with longitudinal .slots b and connected by upper and lower transverse bars or bolts Z). In the opposite ends of the bars B are mounted drums X X, around which passes the endless flanged belt 13.

U is a driving-shaft extending through the.

slots 5 and supporting the upper end of the conveyer and on which the conveyer as a whole may be slid into and out of the building, as clearly shown in the drawings, so that the outer ends of the conveyer having the hoppers a may he slid into the car containing the ore to be sampled.

The shaft U is provided with a drive-pulley V and with a friction-pulley Y, which will bear against the upper drum X when the conveyer is slid outwardly and thereby rotate the said drum X and-cause it to operate the endless belt 13 The intermediate conveyer B is not adjustable and its endless belt is driven from one of its end rolls or drums in the usual manner. WVhen not in use, the conveyers B B may be slid inwardly into the building out of the way of the cars on the tracks and where they will be protected against the elements.

The ore-reducing mechanism, the carriers to and therefrom, the conveyers F, F, and F and the sampling-wheels may be driven from suitable shaft-ing and belting. thought necessary to be shown in the drawings.)

It will be understood that I do not restrict myself to the particular construction shown,

since it may be varied considerably without departing from the scope of my invention.

What I claim is 1. An automatic ore-sampling apparatus, comprising a main supply-conveyer, a crusher supplied from the'mass .of ore by. said conveyer, a series of spaced traveling buckets brought successively into the path of the ore discharged fromthe crusher to receive a portion thereof, an offtake-conveyer for conveying the ore which falls between the buckets, to a car or other place, a second crushing mechanism, a carrier mechanism for conveying the contents of the buckets, as discharged thereon, to said second crusher and a second series of buckets similar to the first and receiving portions of the ore discharged from the said crushing mechanism, while the remaining portions are delivered through the spaces between the buckets to said offtakeconveyer, substantially as described.

2. An automatic ore-sampling apparatus, comprising a main supply-conveyer mechan- (Not ism, a crusher supplied thereby from the mass of ore to be sampled and having an offtake-carrier, pairs of crushing-rolls, having supply and offtake carriers, rotary samplingwheels having circularly-arranged equidistantly-spaced buckets in the paths of the discharge from the respective ofltake-carriers to receive successively portions of the ore discharged therefrom and permit the remainder to fall between them, an offtake-conveyer below said wheels to receive and remove the ore from which the samples have thus been extracted, and supply-carriers on which the several series of buckets discharge their contents and in turn delivering ore to the respective crushing-rolls, the offtake-carrier from last sampling-wheel delivering its contents to a sampler-receptacle, substantially as described.

3. An automatic ore-sampling apparatus,

comprising a supply-conveyor, a crushersupplied thereby with ore from the mass to be sampled, pairs of crushing-rolls alongside of said crusher, a series of vertical samplingwheels one in front of every crushing device and each provided with a circular concentric series of equidistantly-spaced pivoted .buckets, a supply-hopper for the buckets of each wheel below the axis thereof, an offtake-hopper for the buckets of each wheel above the axis thereof, means for dumping the buckets successivelyas they are brought over the offtake-hoppers, offtake-carriers for delivering the ore from the crushingrolls to the said supply-hoppers, and supply-carriers for delivering the ore from the upper hoppers to the said crushing-rolls, the last of said carriers, however discharging its contents into a sample-receptacle, and an offtake-conveyer mechanism to receive the ore which falls through the spaces between all of said buckets and convey it to a car or other place of deposit, whereby ore may be conveyed from one car, crushed, a correct sample removed and the remainder conveyed to another car or place of deposit, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a vertical sampling-wheel provided with a circularlyarranged series of pivoted spaced buckets, an ore crusher discharging its contents into the path of said buckets below the axis of the wheel whereby a certain proportion will be caught successively by the lowermost bucket and the remainder will fall through the spaces between said buckets, and means for successively discharging the contents of the buckets when they reach their uppermost position,

of a main ore-supply mechanism leading to the crusher, an offtake-conveyer mechanism extending below the sampling-wheel to receive the ore falling between the buckets and convey it to a car or place of deposit, and a carrier or ofttake receiving the successive discharges from the uppermost buckets; substantially as described.

' 5. The combination with a vertical sampling-wheel provided with a circularly-arranged series of pivoted spaced buckets, an ore-crusher discharging its contents into the path of said buckets below the axis of the wheel, whereby a certain proportion will be caught successively by the lowermost bucket, and the remainder will fall through the spaces between said bucket-s, and means for successively discharging the contents of the buckets when they reach their uppermost position, of a main ore-supply mechanism leading to the crusher from opposite points, and an offtakeconveyer mechanism adapted to discharge at opposite points and extending below the sampling-wheel to receive the ore falling down between the lowermost buckets, and a carrier or oiftake receiving the successive discharges from the uppermost buckets; substantially as described.

6. The combination in an ore-sampler with a circularly-arranged series of pivoted traveling spaced buckets, of an ore-supply discharging into the path of the lowermost bucket, whereby the ore not received by the successivelylowermost bucket will fall down through the spaces separating said buckets, an ofitake mechanism below the lowermost buckets to receive the ore falling through said spaces, an offtake mechanism under the uppermost bucket and a trip device in the path of the uppermost bucket to cause the latter buckets to successively discharge into the ofitake thereunder; substantially as described.

7. The combination, with the samplingwheel, having a series of yokes or brackets on one side at or near its periphery, and a series of buckets pivoted in said brackets, of means for overturning the buckets successively, and a spring-hammer retracted and released by said yokes when the buckets are in their inverted positions, to strike the bottoms thereof, substantially as described.

8. The combination, in an ore-sampler, of a vertical sampling-wheel provided on one side at or near its outer edge with a circular series of buckets pivoted at their upper edges to hang vertically by gravity, and spaced equal distances apart; of an ore-supply discharging below the axis of the wheel into the path of the lowermost bucket, a trip device in the path of the topmost bucket to overturn it, and a hammer actuated by the rotacontents thereof; substantially as described.

9. The combination with an ore crushing or reducing device, a carrier therebelow, a hopper into which the carrier discharges, a second hopper above the first one, and a third hopper under the first one, of a vertical sampling-wheel having on one side a circular series of spaced, pivoted buckets traveling between the two lower hoppers and over the upper hopper, a trip-arm and a hammer at the upper hopper to successively overturn the buckets and strike their upturned bottoms, respectively, and carriers or conveyers below the upper and lower hoppers, substantially as described.

10. The combination, with a driven shaft mounted in fixed bearings and having a transmitting pulley or roll, of a conveyer comprising side bars having slots receiving the said shaft to permit the conveyer to slide longitudinally thereon, drums journaled at the ends of the side bars and an endless belt mounted on said drums, one of said drums being directly engaged with the said transmitting pulley or roll when the conveyer is slid into its operative position, substantially as described.

11. The combination in an ore-sampler with the verticallydisposed series of traveling buckets spaced apart with their open ends uppermost, of an ore-crusher, an endless carrier therebelow, receiving the ore therefrom and discharging it into the lowermost buckets and spaces therebetween, and a pair of inclined plates at opposite sides of the said carrier and forming an open-ended outlet or hopper for the ore-crusher, for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH H. STRAT' ON.

Witnesses:

HERMAN BRnss, S. K. KINNEY. 

